Jane Dempsey Douglass

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Jane Dempsey Douglass
Born
E. Jane Dempsey

(1933-03-22) March 22, 1933 (age 91)
Wilmington, Delaware, US
Other namesElizabeth Jane Dempsey Douglass
TitlePresident of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (1990–1997)
Spouse
Gordon K. Douglass
​
(died 2017)​
Academic background
Claremont Graduate School
  • Princeton Theological Seminary
    • Doctoral studentsHaruko Nawata Ward[1]
    Notable studentsPaul C. H. Lim[2]

    E. Jane Dempsey Douglass (born 1933) is an American

    Claremont Graduate School before becoming the Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Historical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. Douglass served as the President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
    from 1990 to 1997, making her the first woman to head a worldwide communion of churches.

    Early life and education

    Born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, on March 22, 1933,[3][4] Douglass is a graduate of Syracuse University (1954), Radcliffe College, and Harvard University.[5][6] She received her Doctor of Philosophy degree from Harvard in 1963 following the submission of her thesis The Doctrine of Justification in the Preaching of John Geiler of Keiserberg.[7] She was married to the economist Gordon K. Douglass until his death in 2017.[8]

    Academic and ecclesiastical career

    Douglass was professor of church history at the Claremont School of Theology, where she was the first female faculty member, and professor of religion at Claremont Graduate School.[9][10] She went on to serve as the Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Historical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1985 until her retirement in 1998.[11][12] In 1983, Douglass was the first female President of the American Society of Church History.[13] In the same year, she delivered the Warfield Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary in a series titled Christian Freedom in Calvin's Theology, which led to the publication of her book Women, Freedom, and Calvin in 1985.[14]

    A

    protofeminist.[16] Calvin regards the apostle Paul's advice that women should remain silent in church as being adiaphoral, which Douglass argues leaves him open to the possibility of a broader role for women in the church in the future,[16][17] writing: "Though Calvin sees strong biblical guidance for women's subordinate role in the public life of church and society, and though he finds it appropriate for his own society that women should be subordinate, he holds on principle that the order in which women are subordinate is one determined by human law, ecclesiastical and political [rather than divine law]. Such order can legitimately be adapted to changing circumstances."[18]

    A

    Reformed dialogue in North America from 1981 to 1983.[12] Douglass served as the President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches from 1990 to 1997,[21] making her the first woman to head a worldwide communion of churches.[22][23]

    Douglass has received honorary doctorates from

    Franklin and Marshall College, the University of St. Andrews, and the University of Geneva.[12] She is commemorated by the American Society of Church History with the Jane Dempsey Douglass Prize, awarded annually to the author of the year's "best unpublished essay on some aspect of the role of women in the history of Christianity".[24]

    Bibliography

    See also

    References

    1. ProQuest 276243423
      .
    2. ^ Paul C. H. Lim (August 2017). "Paul Chang-Ha Lim" (PDF) (curriculum vitae). Vanderbilt University. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 14, 2023.
    3. ^ "Douglass, E. Jane Dempsey". German National Library. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
    4. ^ "Douglass, E. Jane Dempsey". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
    5. ^ Stephanie English (March 1991). "On Our Short List". Syracuse University Magazine. Vol. 7, no. 3. p. 7. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
    6. ^ Jane Dempsey Douglass (1990). "What Is 'Reformed Theology'?". The Princeton Seminary Bulletin. New series. Vol. 11, no. 1. p. 3.
    7. S2CID 232179816
      .
    8. ^ "Obituary: Gordon Klene Douglass". Claremont Courier. Claremont, California. August 3, 2017. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022.
    9. S2CID 162078677
      .
    10. ^ "Our Story: The History of Claremont School of Theology at Willamette University" (PDF). Claremont School of Theology. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2022.
    11. Robert W. Edgar (September 10, 1991). Introduction of Jane Dempsey Douglass. Convocation of the School of Theology at Claremont
      (audio recording). 13:56–14:08.
    12. ^ a b c d James F. Kay (1999). "A Special Issue Honoring Jane Dempsey Douglass". The Princeton Seminary Bulletin. New series. Vol. 20, no. 1. p. v.
    13. ^ Paul C. H. Lim (2019). "2019 ASCH President's Report". American Society of Church History. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
    14. ISBN 978-0-664-24663-1
      .
    15. ISSN 1569-7320
      .
    16. ^
      ISBN 978-1-5326-6026-9
      .
    17. S2CID 162078677
      .
    18. ISBN 978-0-664-24663-1
      .
    19. ^ Sharon Youngs (April 12, 2012). "220th General Assembly Committee Leadership Named". Presbyterian Church (USA). Archived from the original on March 24, 2021.
    20. ProQuest 407145310
      .
    21. ^ Stephen Brown and Jerry L. Van Marter (September 6, 1997). "Taiwanese Theologian Elected as President of WARC, Kirkpatrick Elected to Executive Committee". Worldwide Faith News. Presbyterian News Service. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023.
    22. ^ Peter Steinfels (August 25, 1990). "Religion Notes". The New York Times. p. 1.10. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015.
    23. ProQuest 1835487623
      .
    24. JSTOR 3168517
      .
    Religious titles
    Preceded by President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
    1990–1997     		Succeeded by
    Academic offices
    Preceded by Warfield Lecturer
    1983     		Succeeded by
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jane_Dempsey_Douglass&oldid=1193252879"